Thoughts, links, inside information and program previews from the host of Chicagoland's premier local-access political talk show.

Friday, December 11, 2009

A run for Governor by Patrick Collins in 2014? Berkowitz w/Patrick Collins: Streaming now!

Revised on Friday morning at 11:00 am to add links to our show w/ Patrick Collins. ******************Patrick Collins: [Gov. Quinn] had a budget mess. He had the politics of Springfield. He had issues about who was going to run against him. I don't--You know, he had other issues. I wish he would have supported us more. No question about that. [Watch show with Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission and lead prosecutor in the trial of Governor George Ryan] ****************************************************You can now watch here the show w/ Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman. ****************************************Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, and currently Perkins Coie partner and head of that firm's Chicago Office Investigations and White Collar practice, debates and discusses a broad range of public corruption, campaign finance reform and other public policy issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.”****************************************************Go herefor another partial transcript and a more detailed discussion of the topics discussed with Patrick Collins on this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs." ********************************************Governor Patrick Collins in 2014?

Jeff Berkowitz: ...a lot of people have said that you would make a good candidate for Governorin 2014. Would you consider that?

Patrick Collins: Not right now.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you run as a Republican or a Democrat?

Patrick Collins: I will tell you this. If I ever ran, I'd run as an independent.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is that right? So, you would not run as a--

Patrick Collins: If I ever ran. That's a big if.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you wouldn'trun as a member of one of the major parties?

Patrick Collins: I don't think so. But, I don't have any plans to run.************************************************ Patrick Collins: Both parties have screwed up big time, in my view. Both [the] Republican and Democratic parties at the state level have screwed up big time.

Is Pat Quinn getting it right?

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Pat Quinn getting it right as Governor of the State of Illinois?

Patrick Collins: I, you know, again think-- the answers to both your questions are yes and yes.

Did Governor Quinn support the Illinois Reform Commission's Agenda?

Jeff Berkowitz: You got upset--

Patrick Collins: No, I'm not a guy who gets upset. I was honored to serve. Do I wish Pat would have supported our agenda? Sure. Absolutely, I wish.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, it was more than he could do? It wasn't in his political interests, right?

Patrick Collins: [Gov. Quinn] had a budget mess. He had the politics of Springfield. He had issues about who was going to run against him. I don't--You know, he had other issues. I wish he would have supported us more. No question about that.************************************************************************From Public Affairs, taped on December 6, 2009. More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov. *******************